A Day in the Life of Budapest’s Public Transportation System

Hey there, have you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for the bustling public transportation system in Budapest? Well, buckle up because we’re about to take a fascinating journey through the city’s network of buses, trams, trolleys, and trains!

The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) has created an incredible animation that showcases the movement of public transport vehicles throughout a 24-hour period. Using over 10 million GPS log-ins, they’ve condensed a day’s worth of data into a mesmerizing 90-second video.

As dawn breaks around 3:30 AM, the vehicles start to gather at the depots and garages, preparing for the day ahead. By 4:45 AM, the daytime services are in full swing, gradually replacing the night routes.

A Day in the Life of Budapest's Public Transportation

The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) has created an incredible animation.

See the trusty 6 tram, which runs 24/7 along the Grand Boulevard, is a constant presence throughout the night. And let’s not forget the 100E Airport Express, connecting the city center with the international airport.

During the day, the animation reveals the bustling arteries of the city’s transport system. The high-capacity metro lines, the surface axis of Rákóczi Road–Thököly Road, the Grand and Small Boulevards, Üllői Road, Soroksári Road, and Fehérvári Road are all prominently featured. The morning and afternoon rush hours are clearly visible, with vehicles appearing more frequently during these peak times.

As day turns into night, the night buses, represented by black dots, start to reappear, slowly taking over from the daytime services. As the clock strikes midnight, the night buses take center stage, serving key routes like the Üllői Road–Váci Road axis, the Kerepesi Road axis, and the Hungária Ring Road. If you look closely, you’ll notice the vehicles congregating at major transport hubs like Astoria, Széll Kálmán Square, Szent Imre Square in Csepel, Örs vezér Square, Határ Road, and Kelenföld Railway Station, ensuring smooth connections for passengers.

Creating this animation was no small feat. All trams, trolleybuses, blue buses, and suburban railways (HÉV) in Budapest are equipped with GPS transmitters, constantly relaying their locations to the FUTÁR control center. This enables real-time vehicle information in the BudapestGO app.

Processing such a massive amount of data required advanced data mining techniques. The BKK team, along with their experts, manipulated and filtered the data to create this stunning visual representation of a day in the life of Budapest’s public transport.

So, the next time you hop on a bus or tram in Budapest, take a moment to appreciate the intricate dance of vehicles that keeps the city moving day and night!